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ED352659 - The Classroom Trial of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles": A Way to See, Speak, Hear, and Live a Persuasive Essay.

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ERIC #:ED352659
Title:The Classroom Trial of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles": A Way to See, Speak, Hear, and Live a Persuasive Essay.
Authors:Young, Michael W.
Descriptors:Class Activities; Higher Education; Literature Appreciation; Persuasive Discourse; Reader Response; Role Playing; Simulation; Undergraduate Students; Writing Assignments
Source:N/A
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Publication Date:1992-03-00
Pages:8
Pub Types:Guides - Classroom - Teacher; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Abstract:Courtroom scenes in literature seem to have a special magic with students (probably because of all the trials seen on television, fiction or non-fiction). Students in a composition and literature course at the University of Nebraska, after reading Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," wrote "closing arguments" for either the prosecution or the defense in the trial that was omitted from the novel. Students were then told to come to class ready to argue either position. They were randomly divided into defense and prosecution teams, collaborated on an opening statement, and presented that statement to the "judge," the instructor. The teams then cross-examined one another. The novel, which so many of them had disliked and found dense, became a nimble tool in their hands. The two sides met again, then gave their final arguments. No decision was given by the "court." Overall, the response to the trial and the assignment was powerfully positive. (RS)
Abstractor:N/A
Reference Count:N/A

Note:Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (43rd, Cincinnati, OH, March 19-21, 1992).
Identifiers:English Literature; Mock Trials; Tess of the D Urbervilles; University of Nebraska Lincoln; Writing Contexts
Record Type:Non-Journal
Level:1 - Available on microfiche
Institutions:N/A
Sponsors:N/A
ISBN:N/A
ISSN:N/A
Audiences:N/A
Languages:English
Education Level:Higher Education
 

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